If there is the thought of doing something major in a couple of years, what you PLAN now for the yard should take that into account. Without a doubt the stoop and sidewalk are killer for the landscape so that'd be something at the top of the list to redo. The stoop needs to be enlarged, the walk widened and pulled away from the house so that there is sufficient room for plantings.
Rather than a hedge across a portion of the house, I'd settle for a dome-shaped shrub (you prune) that fits and coordinates with the window features. This is enough to give presence without smothering and leaves plenty of space for other plant interest .... flowering perennial & annuals and groundcover.
Try to remove neglect and disfiguring of trees the best you can by pruning off lopsidedness and raising canopy bottoms so they permit your entire first floor to show without significant foliage obstruction.
If there is an island around a tree, it should be reasonably proportionate to the spread of the canopy. Pretend that the island represents a container that the tree is growing in. Could a tree grow in a flower pot the size it is in the first picture? I think not! It needs to be enlarged substantially. Also, It would be better to have a clean looking trench edge, or a flush mowing strip rather than a raised edging (unless you're going to invest in perfect, professionally installed hardscape.
Q
Colorful palette mixed with natural wood.
Q